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To characterize patterns in the taxonomic diversity of parasites infecting the population of Aalst, Belgium, between the 12th and 17th centuries. 14 sediment samples from seven cesspits dated 1100–1700 CE. Digital light microscopy and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We identified eggs of four species of helminths: whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), Echinostoma fluke and Dicrocoelium fluke. ELISA results for protozoal parasites were negative. Taxonomic diversity of parasite infections remained constant from the 12th to the 17th centuries. Roundworm and whipworm, spread by poor sanitation, were dominant. Two species of zoonotic parasites were also identified, including for the first time ever in the Low Countries the Echinostoma fluke, which may have been spread by eating uncooked freshwater animal foods. Analysis of sediment samples spanning such a broad chronology (six centuries) from a single city offers the opportunity to track diachronic change, which is rare in paleoparasitological studies. We were unable to acquire samples from cesspits dating to the 14th century. Additional data from other Low Countries towns may strengthen the patterns identified in this paper. A similar approach can be used to investigate towns in different regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of relic charcoal kilns in Europe are more recent than 1650 CE and cannot be precisely dated using radiocarbon dating (14C). Quartz-based optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of the sediments associated with the kiln remains has been suggested as a viable alternative. Owing to the lack of reliable and sufficiently precise independent age information, however, it remains to be established whether OSL dating can yield accurate ages for post-1650 CE features. This is explicitly investigated in this study by applying a commonly adopted quartz OSL methodology to three relic charcoal kilns which are known to have been constructed and operated between December 1941 and March/April 1942 CE. We first document the quartz luminescence characteristics and show through procedural tests that the adopted single-aliquot regenerative dose procedure should be appropriate for equivalent dose determination. Four samples collected from the uppermost part of the charcoal-rich layers in the three features yield the youngest optical ages and are considered coeval. Their average age is 1928 ± 13 CE (95% probability), which matches the independent age reasonably well. The precision associated with the individual OSL ages ranges between 7 and 14% (1 sigma total uncertainty) and it might ideally be possible to establish relative chronologies with a higher time resolution. Finally, we briefly discuss our entire set of OSL ages in relation to future strategies for sampling charcoal kilns remains. In general, we conclude that OSL dating can be particularly advantageous to help resolving chronometric issues that pertain to post-1650 CE relic charcoal kilns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of charcoal production pits (pit kilns), excavated in central Belgium, provides information on Early and High Medieval woodland dynamics and human impact on the forest composition in the Northwest-European Lowland. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal recovered from the kilns demonstrates two different phases of charcoal production, one during the Early Medieval period (c. 650 AD–950 AD) and one during the High Medieval period (c. 1040 AD–1260 AD). Charcoal identification shows that the Early Medieval kilns are dominated by beech (Fagus sylvatica) while the younger kilns are dominated by oak (Quercus sp.), indicating a shift in woodland composition. This shift is likely to be a consequence of the earliest charcoal production activities, which resulted in the degradation of the primeval beech-dominated forest to a secondary forest dominated by oak, and intermixed with other more light-demanding taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At Doel, in the lower basin of the river Scheldt, excavations have revealed camp sites of the Swifterbant culture dating back to the second half of the fifth millennium BC. They document the transition period from the Late Mesolithic to the Early Neolithic in Sandy Flanders (NW Belgium). The sites were situated on the top of sandy ridges which were covered with an alluvial hardwood forest vegetation and surrounded by wetlands. Only burnt animal remains survived at the sites, illustrating (seasonal) fishing and hunting. In addition, botanical evidence indicates the herding of domestic mammals. The finds are of importance for the reconstruction of the chronological development of the food economy of the Swifterbant culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the medieval use of peat as fuel. Until now, most research has focused on different aspects of peat extraction but not on its consumption. However, the discovery and analysis of several fragments of peat bricks from an archaeological deposit dating around 1200 AD from the abbey of Ename (located along the upper part of the river Scheldt, near Oudenaarde, Flanders, Belgium) provided a first opportunity to gather information on the trade and use of peat in late medieval times in Flanders. Analysis of pollen and botanical macroremains from the peat bricks has shown that their composition is dominated by heather (Calluna vulgaris L. Hull and Erica tetralix L.) and peat moss (Sphagnum sp.), thus representing oligotrophic conditions. In the Ename region, only eutrophic peat is present. The nearest occurrence of oligotrophic peat has to be sought in the coastal area and the Scheldt estuary, two rather distant regions, which are known for (commercial) peat production in late medieval times. The Ename peat bricks not only illustrate the existence of long distance peat transport around 1200 AD, but also suggest the need for the import of fuel into the rural region of Oudenaarde. Indeed, from historical sources it is known that the extent of woodland in this part of Flanders showed a minimum in the late 13th century, presumably forcing people to look for alternative sources of fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]